The invention relates to the installation of hatracks in a means of locomotion. In particular, the invention relates to a fastening device for installing a hatrack on a substructure of a means of locomotion, to a hatrack comprising a fastening device, to an aircraft comprising a hatrack, to the use of a fastening device in an aircraft, to a method for installing a hatrack to a fastening device, and to a method for deinstalling a hatrack from a fastening device.
In present-day means of locomotion, for example in aircraft, omnibuses, rail vehicles or ships, hatracks are installed near ceilings of, for example, passenger cabins, which hatracks provide a means of storing items of baggage. These hatracks can mostly be closed by means of a flap so as to prevent these items of baggage or other objects held in the hatracks from falling from the hatrack, especially when the means of locomotion is in operation.
Such hatracks are suitable for carrying considerable loads. The resulting considerable static forces and the considerable dynamic forces caused in operation are in the most direct possible way introduced to a structure that is suitable for this, for example frame elements and/or stringers of an aircraft fuselage. Furthermore, it can be possible to introduce these forces into a substructure, for example because the substructure provides more suitable attachment options for receiving the hatracks, wherein the substructure then in turn, as a rule, is directly connected to the frame elements and/or stringers.
In order to attach the hatracks to the respective structures or substructures, the hatracks are mostly suspended from these structures either by means of screw-type connections or, as is common in aircraft construction, by means of so-called tie rods. Because technical operating equipment, for example cables or switches, can be located behind the hatracks, these hatracks are attached in a deinstallable manner.
However, it has been shown that the installation and also the deinstallation of such hatracks can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. At least in aircraft construction, as a rule at least one first installer needs to position the hatrack to be installed, and at least one second installer needs to connect the hatrack by means of suitable connection materials to the corresponding structure or substructure. Thus, as a rule, at least two technicians are required to carry out the installation.
Thus DE 10 2005 054 890 A1, which is also published as WO 2007/057191 A1, describes an attachment structure for fixing internal equipment components in a passenger cabin of an aircraft fuselage structure, which among other things is formed by frame elements that are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other in longitudinal direction of the aircraft fuselage. DE 10 2006 016 509 A1, which has also been published as US 2007/0284479 A1, in turn describes a quick-release fastening system for mounting an element to a fastening structure.